I have my turtle for 3-4 years and this is the first time he/she(?) stop eating. I feed him Raffy I -gammarus- in the mornings Raffy P (or Raffy Mineral once/twice a week) and Raffy Vital sticks at night. His tank has water heater, water filtration, basking area, UVA light and I use Vitamin D (1 drop on a stick) once a week -because I don't have UVB light-. Plants are not plastic btw. Haven't changed anything, he just suddenly stop eating since Friday. He normally gets too excited when I get close to his tank. But he is not interested in being fed anymore. His tank is 81F. I don't know how big is his tank. His eyes are normal, not swollen, shell is not soft, nothing looks abnormal to me but I took some pictures anyway. I can't find a vet who's been specialized in reptiles in my country. Maybe someone can help me out?

Your tank doesn't look very clean :s How often do you do water changes ?

Your turtle have some algae on its shell. It's not harmful, just if you want a clean shell you can always scrub the algae away with a soft toothbrush (VERY light strokes).

Turtles can be picky eaters and they'll get bored if you feed them the same thing all the time ! It happened to my Shelldon. Give him other options beside pellets. Live food, dry worms/shrimps, frozen, veggies... You definitely should introduce veggies in its diet.

First sure looks like a she Not a he ! Can you offer a better picture with front claws expanded out? Has she been doing any digging with her back legs instead of the front even though you have no gravel ? She could be gravid !!! If so they normally stop eating for room needed for the growing eggs. I am more concerned about not eating than the other issue's you have.

PokePony wrote:Your tank doesn't look very clean :s How often do you do water changes ?

Your turtle have some algae on its shell. It's not harmful, just if you want a clean shell you can always scrub the algae away with a soft toothbrush (VERY light strokes).

Turtles can be picky eaters and they'll get bored if you feed them the same thing all the time ! It happened to my Shelldon. Give him other options beside pellets. Live food, dry worms/shrimps, frozen, veggies... You definitely should introduce veggies in its diet.

I add clean water every 3 days. Thanks for the info, I will try different foods.

litefoot wrote:Hello and welcome ,

First sure looks like a she Not a he ! Can you offer a better picture with front claws expanded out? Has she been doing any digging with her back legs instead of the front even though you have no gravel ? She could be gravid !!! If so they normally stop eating for room needed for the growing eggs. I am more concerned about not eating than the other issue's you have.

I say a girl 90% sure. Maybe still a little young yet not quite mature enough. But even at this size if male would have some indications on the front nails. Short and even a girl.

Not eating could also be the changing season just keep offering a variety of food keep observing. To a point this is normal.

You do need to give more time on it's home , yes lots of algae and you do have lots of tannins in tank. Could be coming from some of the decorations , any made of wood or any driftwood material in tank ? Is this well water ? If you used carbon that will help a lot but it gets saturated in 4-5 weeks with toxins , you need to change it on a regular schedule ! What type of filter you have ?Also need to do more research on proper basking setup so she can bask properly out the water and she can get rid of that algae. In the water to much !Read the informational sticky's above each topic for help in the setup.Next tank upgrade you should look into a tank that's longer ( like a breeders tank) for more swimming room this one is very narrow for a turtle. A longer setup will allow you to do a lot more things to be turtle friendly.Also you can not just add clean water to a tank for any evaporation. You must "remove" 20% water every week to reduce any toxins in water if not they keep getting more and more concentrated to an unhealthy level. One can have crystal clear water that's still toxic to a turtle ! Your turtle is trying to tell you something by not eating. She may feel a little ill if the water is bad to her !

Answering these question in some detail will help a lot so I can help better :

How big is your turtle?How long have you had it?

What is the water temperature?Did you use a thermometer?Are you using a water heater?How much water is in there?Are you using a water conditioner?Are you using any filtration?

What is the basking temperature?Is there a basking light?Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?What kind is it or what is it made out of?Is there a UVB light?

What have you been trying to feed it?When was the last time your turtle ate?

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?Is the tank near a window?Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?

Have you read the Basic Care section?Have you searched the forums for similar situations?